US Imposes Sanction On Zimbabwe National Security Minister

The United States of America has imposed sanction on Zimbabwean Minister of State for National Security over human rights violations.

The new development comes just a month after the slapping of sanctions on Uganda’s former Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura on September 13^th 2019 over similar accusations.

The US Secretary of Mike Pompeo announced the designation on Saturday in statement released by the Department of State (DOS) and also posted on his social media account.

“Today, the Department designates Owen Ncube under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (Div. F, P.L. 116-6), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. A, P.L. 116-59) due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights,” said part of the statement.

Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals are ineligible for entry into the United States and may be publically or privately designated as such by the Secretary of State.

DOS said it has credible information on Ncube, who together with Lt. Gen. Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, former Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army’s Presidential Guard Brigade and current Ambassador Designate of Zimbabwe to Tanzania, are accused of masterminding the violent crackdown on protestors during the post-election protests on August 1, 2018 that resulted in six civilian deaths.

“The Department has credible information that Owen Ncube was involved in gross violations of human rights in his capacity as Zimbabwe’s Minister of State for National Security. We are deeply troubled by the Zimbabwean government’s use of state-sanctioned violence against peaceful protestors, and civil society, as well as against labor leaders and members of the opposition leaders in Zimbabwe,” added the statement.

Similar sanction was imposed on Gen. Senywate on August 1^st 2019, also a month before those placed on Gen. Kayihura.

ChimpReports on September 15^th 2019 published a story https://chimpreports.com/kayihura-becomes-5th-african-target-of-us-sanctions-in-2-months/ detailing drastically increased US sanctions on the African targets in the past few months.

U.S has also asked Zimbabwean government to investigate the last year’s postelection protests crackdown and bring responsible officials to book.

“We urge the government to stop the violence, investigate, and hold accountable officials responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Zimbabwe,” added the statement.